A visibly embarrassed Tseng led lawmakers into the back of the cordoned-off statue hall, which houses a copper statue of Chiang.
Signs issued by the hall under its new name inform visitors that the statue hall will be under renovation until June 20.
The project will continue beyond that date, Tseng said, adding that he wasn't sure when it would be finished. The refurbishment was necessary because of leaks, he said.
A tour through the bowels of the statue hall that, at one point, led the crowd up a pitch-black stairwell, revealed a sweeping renovation project. Bare drywall, ladders and the smell of paint were everywhere.
But as lawmakers milled into the dark, cavernous chamber housing the statue, they were surprised to see no signs of renovation. The huge, metallic likeness of Chiang sat serenely in shadow, untouched.
Shattering the eerie calm, Kuo yelled, "So why are the doors sealed? What are you afraid of?"
"Little rain outside," Tseng said, leads to "big rain inside."
Asked how much the renovation to fix the leaks would cost and where the funds would come from, Tseng said he wasn't sure.
Wagging fingers at Tseng, Lee and KMT Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) vowed to pore over the ministry's budget to find out.
In related news, Demos Chiang (蔣友柏), 31, the great grandson of dictator Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), was quoted as saying in a recent interview with the Chinese-language Next Magazine that the Chiang family did persecute Taiwanese people and the KMT should admit it and accept criticism.
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